This invention relates to the use of steroidal sapogenins in the feed or water of animals to control disease (coccidiosis) caused by species of the coccidia Eimeria. Coccidiosis is a common disease in animals, resulting in intestinal lesions, diarrhea, enteritis and death. Coccidiosis is an economically important disease in domestic livestock production.
As a result of extensive research with plant extracts the inventor has attained the following invention. According to the present invention steroidal sapogenins extracted from plants belonging to the Lilliaceae, Amaryllidaceae and Dioscoraceae families have been discovered to effective control the damaging effects of the disease coccidoisis and its negative effects on the animal when added to the feed or water of the animal. The following examples of steroidal sapogenins extracted from plants are given merely as illustrative of the present invention and are not to be considered limiting. Agavogenin, Chlorogenin, 9-Dehydrohecogenin, 9-Dehydromanogenin, Digitogenin, Disosgenin, Gitogenin, Hectogenin, Kammogenin, Kryptogenin, Lilagenin, Manogenin, Markogenin, Mexogenin, Neotigogenin, Nologenin, Pennogenin, Rockogenin, Samogenin, Sarsasapogenin, Smilagenin, Texogenin, Tigogenin, Yamogenin and yuccagenin.
This invention is further illustrated by the following examples, which are not to be construed as imposing any limitation on the scope thereof. On the contrary, it is to be clearly understood that resort may be had various other embodiments, modifications and equivalents thereof which readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention and/or the scope of the appended claims.